* World MSCI stock index hits two-year high
* U.S. stocks edge down, awaiting Fed announcement
* Above-forecast U.S. economic data buoys dollar
* Oil reaches six-month high before retreating (Updates with U.S. markets' open; changes dateline, previously LONDON and byline)
By Walker Simon
NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Reuters) - World stocks hit a two-year high on Wednesday and oil climbed to a six-month peak as investors anticipated that the U.S. central bank would within hours announce hefty debt purchases to spur the flagging U.S. economy.
Stronger-than-expected data on U.S. job creation as well as on factory orders and the service sector helped the dollar rally against the yen and rise against the euro. Against a basket of major trading-partner currencies, the dollar<.DXY> rose 0.16 percent,
"The data reinforces the fact that the U.S. economy is bottoming, if not gradually beginning to recover," said Greg Salvaggio, vice president of trading of Tempus Consulting in Washington. "We're obviously at the bottom of the U in the recovery."
Against the Japanese yen, the dollar
The euro
U.S. Treasury debt prices rose for a second straight day as investors prepared for the Federal Reserve to announce at 2:15 p.m. (1815 GMT) what markets have priced in as $500 billion in debt purchases over five months, with an open-ended commitment to buy more -- if necessary.
The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note
The MSCI world equity index <.MIWD00000PUS> rose as high as 320.42, bringing gains this year to about 7.5 percent and marking the highest level since mid-2008. By late morning, though, the index had given up the gains to trade at 318.71, down 0.2 percent.
WALL ST REFLECTS UNCERTAINTY
But the uncertainty about the scope of the Federal Reserve's imminent announcement kept many investors on the sidelines and U.S. stocks softened.
On Wall Street, The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> declined 15.36 points, or 0.14 percent, to 11,173.36. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> shed 2.73 points, or 0.23 percent, to 1,190.84. The Nasdaq Composite Index<.IXIC> fell 8.78 points, or 0.35 percent, to 2,524.74.
In contrast, the MSCI emerging equities index <.MSCIEF> hit its highest since June 2008. With the prospect of the Fed seeking to push long-term interest rates even lower, investors have flocked to emerging markets for higher, though riskier returns.
An index of top European shares <.FTEU3> hit a session high at 1,098.83, but then gave up its gain to trade at 1,089.86, down 0.4 percent.
In commodities markets, U.S. sweet light crude futures
But oil later pulled back some as the dollar rose higher, with the front-month U.S. crude futures contract up 54 cents, or 0.6 percent, at $84.44 per barrel in late morning trading.
Gold prices slipped as the dollar's rally advanced, with
spot gold prices
The dollar has a marked inverse relationship to gold and oil as a weaker dollar makes it cheaper for non-U.S. investors to buy them,
Some economists said the latest batch of U.S. economic data released on Wednesday reinforced that the view the economy was poised for further growth.
In data seen as a prelude to the government's monthly non-farm payrolls report on Friday, payrolls processor ADP said in a report on Wednesday that U.S. private-sector companies added 43,000 jobs in October.
The U.S. government also said new orders received by U.S. factories rose more than expected in September to post their largest gain in eight months.
The U.S. services sector grew more quickly than expected in October, its 10th straight month of expansion, according to the Institute for Supply Management's non-manufacturing sector index. The sector, which comprises mostly service-sector firms, accounts for about two-thirds of U.S. economic activity. (Reporting and writing by Walker Simon; Additional reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch and Gertrude Chavez-Dreyfuss; Editing by Jan Paschal)